Cork-extractor



(No Model.)

K. TAYLOR! CORK EXTRAUTOR.

No. 405,388. v Patented June 18, 1889.

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dilarney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-KENNER TAYLOR, or FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY.

CORK-EXTRACTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,383, dated June 18, 1889.

Application filed March 11, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNER TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Franklin and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cork-Extractors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of implem ents by means of which corks may be extracted from bottles. Heretofore such implements have been commonly made in the form of a pointed screw adapted to be screwed into -the cork to obtain a hold thereon; but such screw was very likely to be thrust entirely through the cork, causing it to leak in after use, and sometimes breaking particles of cork into the contents of the bottle, or even so mutilating the cork as to destroy its value as a stopper.

The object of my invention is to obviate these difficulties and at the same time to produce a device equally efficient, more simple, and less expensive than the common corkscrew.

To this end my invention consists of a corkextractor constructed and shaped as hereinafter described in this specification, and particularly set forth in the claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a very simple form of my invention made of a single piece of tempered wire. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same wit-h a common wooden handle, showing the position of the extractor in service relative to a cork and the neck of a bottle. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing yet another style of handle.

5 represents the blade, 6 the shank, and 7 the handle, of the extractor; 8, a cork, and 9 the neck of a bottle. The blade is pointed at the end, so that it may be thrust directly into a cork, and it is curved to one side, in order that in entering the cork it may guide itself first downward and then crosswise, in order that it may take a hold somewhat hooking upon the cork. In use the best result is attained by pressing upward toward the point,

Serial No. 302,778. (No model.)

partly drawing and partly prying it at the same time. The best form of blade is one spread out fiat on top and ribbed beneath like a bagging-needle, not sharp at the extreme edges, with the object which that has of cut ting a wide hole, but sharp-edged at the point only, in order that it may enter very tightly and present a broad surface to lift against the cork. It should be made of steel a little harder than spring temper, in order that it may be very stiff, so as to retain its curve under strain. The simplest form which I have thus far devised is shown in Fig. 1, wherein the blade, shank, and handle are of one single piece of metal. In some respects the long wooden handle shown in Fig. 2 would be most con venient, and in others the cross-handle shown in Fig. 3. The latter, though appearing like a corkscrew-handle, would have no rotary service, its cross only serving as a better grip for the hand when a hard pull is required. This cork-extractor blade might also be included among the blades of amanifold pocketknife, and be similarly opened and closed in the handle. It will be seen that the natural direction which this blade takes on entering a cork carries its point to the side of the cork and against the bottle, thus securing a good hold on the cork, whereby the cork may be drawn, and that a special effort would have to be made to so guide it as to pass it through the lower end of the cork. Thus the cork is not caused to leakby the use of this extractor, and it may be repeatedly used.

I am aware that there are crooked awls for shoe-makers use which have somewhat the shape and appearance of my cork-extractor; but they are not large enough nor crooked enough for service as cork-extractors, unless they were used on corks so very small as not to require the aid of an extractor. I am also award that there are needles used in sewing bagging, also in sewing the covering onto saddletrees, which needles are curved and flattened somewhat like my cork-extractor; but those needles are not curved enough to serve the same purpose, and they could not be successfully used for that purpose without the further addition of handles, which would destroy their utility as needles.

Having thus fully described my invention,

ICO

what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

In a cork-extractor, an evenly-curved pointed blade flattened on its concave side and 5 having cutting-edges at'the sides tapering toward the point, substantially as shown and described.

KENNER TAYLOR. Witnesses OVERTON R. CRUTCHER, RoBT. H. PHILIPPS. 

